Setting
Written by Gabriel Kenny - 1703108 For millennia wars have waged across the continent of Urvein. Empires rose to glory, only to be dashed out of existence a decade later. Kings, wielding the strength of Gods would promise insurmountable power to their subjects, and then be poisoned at their next meal. Fields were salted, cities burned and the peasants of the land lived in fear of the next aggressive move their ruling class might make. ' ' This cycle continued time and time again until 400 years ago, when Aerdyn came to power in a small city state in the south of Urvein. His neighbouring nations pledged allegiance to him quickly, be it by marriage, trade deals or military strength. He moved to the midlands next, and found the arts of the forest dwellers. He learned how to move silently and swiftly, to strike where no one sees it coming, taught by the military minds of the Arnhold family. This way, despite going up against armies three times the size of his, he conquered the midlands. Here, he split his army, now with the forces of the midlands on his side, into three. One force he gave to Sir Gerard and sent to take the fickle east, the other to Sir Arnhold to take the hard west. He himself headed to the vicious north, where tribesmen fought violent battles in the names of their ancient traditions. ' ' Having heard of the conquering of the south and midlands few lords of the east wished to face against the great Aerdyns army. Sir Gerard found little resistance and apart from a few minor lords being put to the sword, most bended the knee within a few months. The populace itself however, were a different challenge, as despite their lords decision they decided to fight to stay independent. Sir Gerard created a guard force, expertly placing his loyal men throughout the troubling nations and successfully quelled the would-be rebellion. ' ' Sir Arnold to the west meanwhile led a purely military campaign. The lands to the west had been fairly politically stable for some time, and thus had a more organized and less weary force than those in other parts of Urvein. Not expecting such a strong force, Sir Arnhold was beaten back at the borders of the area, but soon retaliated with a series of devastating politically targeted strikes, wiping many generals out within the space of a few weeks using his families famed knowledge of military techniques. Following the demoralizing blows the western lords decided to group together in a desperate attempt to fight back the invaders. On a single field a final battle took place, but Sir Arnhold had sent his stronger forces on foot behind enemy lines before the battle site was even agreed on. When the conflict started they hit the back lines with overwhelming force, breaking the southerners lines and routing them all. The west was taken. ' ' Aerdyn found unexpected allies to the north. While the lords and kings of the other Kingdoms cared mostly for coin and power, the clans folk here respected not only his campaign but also him as a person. His stoic justice appealed to their beliefs and his unyielding nature lent itself well to the tough northern disposition. The Dichet and the Carnon families in particular held one legendary feast in Aerdyns name, serving their famed Dichet bacon with Carnon mead. They say that 600 people dined off their bacon stocks for three weeks, and by the end of it the two families agreed to pledge allegiance to Aerdyn, so impressed by his constitution for beer and meat were they. Once the two families joined him the other clansmen were quick to follow and those that didn't were quick to die. ' ' His war of many years over, the nations conquered, Aerdyn returned to his seat in the south a King, and named his Kingdom Aer. The loyal men he took with him, and found on his way, sat by his side, helping him in the matters they excelled in. ' ' When he had his first child, the King realised that an education was required if the child was to rule his kingdom one day. He searched his land for many months until he found a librarian in a small village to the east. This man, of the Searlas family, seemed to have read more words, and hold more knowledge than the King had ever seen before. Thus, the Searlas family became the custodians of the Royals knowledge, ensuring that they are always educated correctly, and often teaching the other families as well. It was not until two generations later that the Wells family came into the picture. They hailed from the south as well, and wished to be part of the court for both the power and respect. So they did what any power hungry and morally dubious individuals would do and started a Bank. By taking and securing the money of the wealthy they were not only introduced to the higher echelons of court, but also proven to be capable with coin. In time, when the prosperity of the kingdom filled the King's coffers enough that it required a dedicated individual to care for, the King could find none better suited than the Wells family. Related Articles: Characters Gameplay Story Arcs & Quests